The New Old, But Not the Same Old
by uebermensch
Summary: Over lunch, Eliza and Henry talk about Corynn McWatters and about being 'cool'. Eliza is in #TeamFreddy. Based on events from episode 1x13, this story takes place a day or two after that episode. This story stands alone and does not depend or follow upon any of my previous stories. COMPLETE, 2 chapters.
1. A Burn for Corynn

**THE NEW OLD, BUT NOT THE SAME OLD**

Summary: Eliza and Henry are talking about Corynn McWatters and about being 'cool'. Eliza is in #TeamFreddy. Based on events from the premature-final episode 1x13 (sob). This story would go immediately after 1x13 and before the mythical and non-existent 1x14. This story stands alone and does not depend or follow upon any of my previous stories. Rated-T with some coarse language; Heliza-friendship + some humor + minor angst.

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Chapter 1 of 2 : **A Burn on Corynn**

Like clockwork, the alarm on her desktop and her iPhone sounded simultaneously. The accompanying message was spoken with a serious voice, each word spoken carefully with a trace of lighthearted exasperation: "It's time for your midday sustenance."

The tall redhead had been thrilled her work colleague and friend provided the voiceover. After all, lunch was a special thing they did together. Sometimes they'd have lunch in the breakroom; sometimes, others would join them. But mostly, the two would break bread in his office where she especially cherished their workday ritual.

Armed with her granola bar and an open can of Diet Pepsi, the woman got up from her desk, and walked the short distance to her destination. She knocked on the open door a couple of times before she poked her head inside. "Hey ..."

The smartly-dressed dark-haired man looked up from a set of documents, a smile on his face when he saw who it was at the door.

"Hi! I was just done with my report; great timing! I have to retrieve my lunch from the fridge in the breakroom. Please have a seat, and I'll be right back ..."

While she waited, Eliza munched on her granola while checking and going through her rounds of social media. Other than uttering the occasional "what?!" at something outrageous on Twitter, she didn't notice Henry pulling in beside her to her left on the leather sofa. Today, he brought grilled chicken with a side of rice and beans. _And nary a single green leaf in sight_ , he thought. _I wonder what she'll make of that ..._

He rolled up his sleeves, careful especially to lift the right sleeve over the cast on his lower arm. In between bites, he watched her for a full five minutes until she noticed the quiet in the room, and finally sensed his gaze.

She looked up from her iPhone and found him looking at her with an amused gaze. "Oh hi."

"Hi." He lifted a forkful of chicken into his mouth.

"Is there something on my face? Or is it you simply can't stop staring at my symmetrical features?"

"Nooooo! Yeesssss! Nooooo! ... seriously though, I've been thinking ..."

"Careful, Henry; I wouldn't want your head to explode ..." She took a big sip of her drink.

"I was thinking about Corynn McWatters ..."

"Ppppfthtthththtthth ..." she choked and spit out an impressive spray, wiping her mouth with the top of her wrist. "Aahhhhh! That ass-bitch whose name we agreed we would never speak out loud again?"

He handed a paper napkin to her, before grabbing one for himself, and began dabbing at his dress-shirt.

"Sorry ..." she said sheepishly with an apologetic shrug.

"`S okay. You know what though, Eliza? I should've let you jump her ..."

"Aha! Knew it!" She pointed her index finger at him for emphasis, the napkin balled in her hand.

"Yeah, you were right. She **is** loathsome, despite all the good things you tried to show me on social media. I suppose I could say I told you ... er ... I told me so, but still ..."

"Wait a sec ..." Something solidified in Eliza's mind. She narrowed her eyes at him. "And just **how** did you come by this conclusion?"

"I might've bumped into her, and ..."

"You. Bumped. Into. Her. You, Henry Higgs. Bumping into Corynn McWatters ..." She stretched the staccato into a long drawn sentence of disbelief.

"Uh, yeah?"

"Why don't I believe you?"

"By complete coincidence, I bumped into her, and ..."

"Strike two, Henry. You are a **terrible** liar. Would you like to try again and avoid 'strike three'?"

"Okay, okay! I might've sought her out at another book signing. Besides, I had to go all the way out into Orange County!"

"Oh no, you poor thing ..." The tone in her voice shaded heavily into mocking, leaving little room for sympathy.

"Yes, well, I survived the trip ... and the encounter."

"Tell me everything, Henry."

Corynn continued her mini-tour of a number of bookstores throughout greater Los Angeles and southern California. He had tracked her next appearance to a bookstore in Santa Ana near the junction of Interstate-5 and highway-22. He arrived and stayed in the back, in case Corynn recognized him. Hearing her 'steal' Eliza's story once again shot a piercing shot through his heart, experiencing the pain as if the story was his own. He better understood what Eliza meant by Corynn stealing that story. Eliza had worked hard to transform herself from 'most butt' to 'social media darling', someone even a young Corynn might've approved. But with Corynn using Eliza's actual "most butt" story, Eliza's transformation had felt like a complete lie, how the tormentor had stolen the tormented's story for the former's own benefit. He fumed as he listened to Corynn, and he thought about what Eliza must have gone through as a kid and into adulthood, right up to the day when Eliza attended Corynn's book-signing. He stayed to the end of her presentation, through the banality of the Q-and-A session, right up to the last person who waited in the book-signing queue. He got up from his seat, and walked to the table where Corynn sat.

"Hello. Do you remember me?"

"Yes, aren't you the guy who was with Eliza that day ... that day in the park?"

"Yes, yes I am."

"Are you here to get a signed copy of my book? I'd be more than happy to sign one for you ... " She grabbed a copy and began signing her name.

"No, thank you ..."

She looked up in surprise. "No?"

"No. I'm here to talk about Eliza."

"Is she here?"

"No, she isn't."

"Too bad: I would totally sign a copy of my book for her ..."

"You had just about everything in school, and you have just about everything now. Eliza's had to work very hard to throw off being called "most butt"; you have no idea how it's stayed with her for years. So, I don't see why you need Eliza's backstory ..."

"Isn't it obvious? I'm a famous writer with a bestseller on my hands. No one wants to hear how I was obviously the most popular girl in high school ..."

"So, let me get this straight: you're okay with stealing someone's backstory for your own gain? Don't you even get how crazy that sounds? You made Eliza's life hell back in school, and you're still making things tough on her. Can't you see the negative impact you're having? If you could just see that, perhaps you'd realize how much an apology from you would mean to her. In fact, I think your sincere apology would mean the world to her."

"I need her backstory more than she does, and no, I don't have anything to be sorry for ..."

"You're a mom with two young children. How can you think this way? How do you sleep at night? What the hell kind of mother are you?!"

"How dare you! I don't have to take that from you. No, I'm not going to apologize: not to you, or to Eliza!"

He hadn't felt this level of frustration in a very long time. The growing headache was the proverbial 'banging head against a brick wall.' "Well then, I guess there's nothing left to say ..."

He walked away as Corynn got in a last jab. "With you here, it's confirmed what I've always known. Eliza was never able to stand up for herself. It's the same now; so she has some lackey come and defend her. She was nobody in school, and that's all she'll ever be: a nobody."

Henry stopped in his tracks, turned around, and walked back to her.

He quickly gave her his best grin. "You're amazing ..."

She smiled in return, partly out of confusion, and partly because she believed she was right. "Why, thank ..."

His smile disappeared just as quickly. "... I'm not done yet."

Her face fell, suddenly realizing the bottom being yanked out from underneath.

Henry sprung his trap. "You're married, you have a family, you have a farmhouse in France, and you now have a successful book. And yet, you cannot realize your own self-worth without having to lay into Eliza: a lonely well-meaning girl who did nothing to you, and who still has done nothing to you. That says **more** about you than anything else."

She wilted at this, and was about to reply when he put up his hand.

"And for the record, Corynn: Eliza Dooley was a somebody, she always was, and she always will be. She's my friend and she's very special to me."

He reached inside his shirt pocket and laid a card on the table in front of her. "Here's how you can reach us at work. If I were you, I'd make that call and soon." Without another word, he turned and walked out the door.

Eliza looked visibly moved, tears beginning to pool at the corner of her eyes.

Henry finished the story. "I told her in clear terms that she owed you an apology. It won't make up for the years of hell she put you through, but I think it would offer some measure of closure."

"You know, I don't know if I should be **pissed** because you did this behind my back, or if I should be **grateful** because you did this for me ..." Her voice was a touch on the watery side.

"Look, Eliza, I was unhappy at the way Corynn still seems to have her hooks and claws in your life. And honestly, I'm annoyed she hasn't apologized. So yes, I went out of my way, and did something about it. I think ... it's high time you got some fairness and she owes some of her success to you, because she used your story. And uh, so that we're both clear on the matter? I vote for 'grateful' ..."

"Hmmm, maybe ..." Her grudging tone was in stark contrast with how visibly touched she was by his effort. "How is she going to get a hold of me? She doesn't have any contact info ..."

"I left my business card with her, and if she wants to reach you, she can call reception. If Charmonique is on duty, you and she can decide what to do if Corynn calls. If she ever will ..."

"Knowing Charmonique, she'll likely take the bitch down ..."

"Yeah, probably ..."

"Thank you, Henry."

"You're not angry with me?"

"A little ... next time, a little heads-up? So I can ... we can go take the bitch down ... together?"

Henry chuckled with obvious relief. "Okay. I can do that. We can do that. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about me ambushing Corynn."

"Impressive, though, is how you got all stalkerish on her. I **am** a little pissed I didn't get to see you burn Corynn McWatters again! I would've brought popcorn for the spectacle!"

"I guess when you put it that way ... it **was** epic ..."

She laughed. "Anyways, I never realized until recently a little closure could be a good thing. But you've reminded me I don't need anyone to tell me how to think or what to do. So even if Corynn never apologizes, I'm okay with that; I'm really okay. Thank you though; that was like, so totes sweet of you." Eliza smiled at him warmly. "Hey, that reminds me ... what happened when I left the bookstore that night? I was halfway home when I realized you weren't with me."

He gave her a small side-grin. "After you walked off with a head full of steam, I stayed behind and chatted with the bookstore's security guard."

"What did he have to say? "

"He said when he was young, he pretended his dad invented Velcro ..." He chuckled, and so did she. "I told him I pretended to be good at skateboarding so I could look cool. Then he said I wasn't cool." He was a grown man, and yet, those three words still hurt a little, transporting him years back to his own 'experiences' in grade- and high-school.

"What did you say to that?"

"I said I wasn't cool and I never was. But **you** are."

"Awwww, Henry-y-y-y-y-y ..."

"Mock me all you want, Eliza, because I know you have and you always will. And that's okay, because you're one of the most aggravating and yet coolest people I've ever known, one whom I have the greatest pleasure of calling 'friend'."

She emitted a soft squeal, and lifted her 'phone hand' onto her heart.

"Eliza ..." He wrapped her hands in his. "I'm not joking. It's the truth."

"It's not entirely the truth ..."

"What do you mean?"

"Henry, we aren't just friends." She squeezed his hands. "We're **best** friends ... " _And when I look at you sometimes, I think we could be so much more ..._

"Yes, Eliza; we are ..." Henry didn't dare look too deeply at how true that was, especially where his feelings were concerned.

"Besides, Henry, you're so much cooler with me around."

"Does this mean I can't be cool on my own?"

That was too easy to pass up. "Absolutely not. You're no longer an 'old-timey long-sleeved bathing costume'; you're a turn-of-the- century-suit ... with a top hat."

"I guess **that's** an improvement ..."

"You're getting there, Henry. And with my help, you might actually survive the rest of the 20th-century, and arrive safely with the rest of us into the 21st ..."

" **You're** ... hilarious. Well ... I suppose I walked myself into **that** one ..."

"Yup, you kinda did ..."

"Huh ..."

"And not to belabor the point, Henry, but ... uh ... in the bookstore? **You** totally jumped me ..."

"I was trying to get you to stop talking!"

"A simple 'shut it' would have been enough ..."

"Are you kidding ... you were on a full hate-on-Corynn roll ... I made a snap decision ... "

"... aaaaand ...?"

"... And ... yes, well ... I jumped you ..."

And here's where she sprung her trap. "I hope it was as good for you, as it was for me ..."

"Whaaaa ... Eliza!" Henry looked suitably scandalized, which was of course her entire point.

"J.K., Henry, J.K..."

Henry had been down this road many times before. "Soooo, Eliza ... was it good?

Confused, she scrunched her eyebrows. "Was what good?"

"Was it good for you too?" He looked boldly between her eyes and her mouth.

Sometimes he could surprise her. _Like, hello! Like right now, with that smolder_ _ **and**_ _innuendo? Jesus!_


	2. Role Model for Eliza

Chapter 2 of 2 : **Role Model for Eliza**

"Eliza, you look like a deer caught in headlights, and I've clearly stunned you speechless, sooooo ... I also wanted to mention before I forgot ... I like your new hair ..."

Reaching up to twirl her shortened red locks, she responded shyly. "Thank you, Henry."

"What prompted you to get a trim?"

"Actually, I did it myself. Last night I made a big breakthrough: I realized my 13-year old self would've been proud: I have a hot boyfriend and I have a great job. I realized I didn't need anybody else. I rediscovered who I was, who I am, and who I could be. So to honor the 13-year old me, I put on my glasses, took a pair of scissors, and I began cutting. I was, like, a little scared at first, but after the first cut, it felt easy; it felt right. I can't believe I cut big chunks of my beautiful hair. Freddy was there, and he was totally great with it, too ..."

"He was?" The moment had crashed a little for Henry, but his mind immediately took automatic control over his heart. "Oh, of course ..."

As she told him how supportive Freddy was, Henry was blown away, because one, he was more than pleased a part of his message had gotten through, that she didn't need Corynn as a role model (thank God), that the young girl whom he got to know through her stories was a kind, caring, and generous person. Secondly, she had made the breakthrough. Three, he had underestimated Freddy. Henry still thought his 'frenemy' could sometimes be a fool, but in this matter with Eliza, Freddy had stepped up and did right by her.

" ... and I realized the old me, that 13-year old girl could be my new role model."

"Eliza, I'm really happy for you, and I'm proud of you. I'm looking forward to discovering the 'new' old Eliza. Uh, did you say you wear glasses now?" He squinted his eyes at her, trying to imagine how (cute) she'd look.

She rolled her eyes. "Only at home. Maybe I'll put them on you next time you're by ..."

"Huh ... I think you'd look good in glasses. Seriously, I'm here to support you in any way I can."

"Thank you, Henry; that means a lot to me." She reached up and squeezed his arm, when she noticed some writing on his cast. She gingerly moved his arm into her line of sight. "'No fear'? Where'd that come from?"

"Uh ... I went back to the skate-park and hung out with some of the skater guys." At her look of confusion, he explained why. "Mostly because I went and apologized for being a complete fake. They saw my cast and one of them signed it. It's entirely possible they had a little bit of respect ..."

"... and a ton of pity ..."

"... for this 'old dude' who gave it a go to risk 'life and limb', and broke his arm in the process. They might've also had the impression I did it to impress a girl ..."

Her heart leapt at the thought he would try to impress her, but Eliza laughed to hide her traitorous 'Feel.' "You haven't explained why they wrote 'no fear'."

"Well, they gave me a new mantra, and I think it's a good one ..."

"What does it mean to you, Henry?"

"I'm going to start making some changes in my life."

She gave him an odd look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What I mean is how how I'm supposed to find and maintain more balance between work-life and non-work life ...

"Henry ... you don't have a life ... outside of work, I mean ..."

"See? That's what I mean, and ..."

"... and I'm just the person to help you 'get a life'?"

He laughed warmly at her. "Maybe. Possibly. Ehhhh, mooooore than likely ..."

Fist clenched, she raised her arm high, and thrust it downwards. " **YES**!"

"And also, it's about how I view certain things in the future ... maybe ... even ... " He looked down for a moment.

"Maybe even what?"

He gathered a nugget of courage, and looked up and into her eyes. "Maybe, even the way I look at certain people ..."

He couldn't help himself. It was in this personal 'truth-or-dare' challenge and moment of weakness, he decided to act a little foolishly. But acted upon without fear.

He might not have liked it, but he respected the fact Eliza and Freddy appeared to be going steady. But a part of him, a small part opened up to that corner of selfishness, pushed to the fore by the fear of the new, by his poor rejection of Eliza when she exposed herself to him. All of it exposed him, becoming a little raw in the process. It's how and why he slipped, while remaining safe behind their unspoken boundaries. Without managing to say really what was on his mind ...

'No fear' perhaps, but he still held onto the protection around his heart.

Eliza couldn't believe their conversation about Corynn McWatters and about being cool had led them here. She didn't want to guess what Henry was getting at, and honestly, she'd become tired of the guessing games. At least with Freddy she knew where he stood: Freddy was clear and direct about what and how he felt about her. But the thing was she and Henry, their thing? It **was** pretty special. He had created opportunities for her to improve, and improve she did. Slowly but surely, she pushed him into being more open and trying different things. Sometimes, she dragged him kicking and screaming into the realm of more things fun; sometimes, she would nudge him without him ever knowing.

It's why it worked; it's why **they** worked.

So ... he was reconsidering his options about "certain" people. She knew, absolutely knew without a doubt he was referring to a specific woman. More specifically, her.

Before she could fully even approach a suitable reply, an 'ahem' appeared by the door. Eliza and Henry both turned to find Freddy at the open doorway. Their lunch hour had come to an end.

Freddy counted on three certainties in his life. One, he and Eliza had turned sexual chemistry and relentless sex into a pretty good relationship. They were going out on dates, out to dinner, being seen together outside; he felt good about the time he was spending with Eliza. Two, he never questioned her lunches with Henry. She had said that lunch was social time in his office, as colleagues and as friends. Nothing more. He believed that. Mostly. Because if he were counting hours, he'd bet good money that Eliza and Henry spent more time at work and outside work as friends (without any sex!) than the time he was spending with her.

Which led to number three: Freddy was beginning to understand what "quality time" with a person really meant. He wasn't worried about Henry, because compared to Henry, he had all the checkmarks of a very fit dude. Plus he damn well fine-tuned his rock-hard Adonis belt. But a tiny thing called doubt began creeping, because outside of the time he and Eliza shared, he couldn't think of many things they actually had in common. He wasn't worried ... not really. Later, he realized subconsciously he had appeared at Henry's office at 1 o'clock to deliberately mark the clear and abrupt end to their lunch hour. That their time was done, and the rest of it was someone else's ... specifically, his.

"Freddy!" Eliza rose from the couch and went to Freddy by the door; they kissed.

Not wanting to see what (or more precisely, whom) he didn't have, Henry rose, as Eliza passed him on her way to greeting Freddy. With his back to the couple by the door, Henry set down his clear plastic lunch container on the desk. He opened a couple of folders to check for the correct documents. Assuming a safe amount of time had passed, he turned around, with folders in hand.

"So then ... Freddy ... Eliza, I believe our lunch has ended. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm headed over to R-and-D to go over some budget numbers with Larry."

Freddy nodded to Henry. "Henry ..."

Before Henry left his office, Eliza spoke up. "Uh, Henry? Thanks for having lunch with me."

"My pleasure, Eliza, and you're most welcome." He graced with her with a little smile, before turning around and walking out with a natural yet leisurely brisk gait.

"Eliza," Freddy turned to address Eliza. "I came by to look for you, and I caught the last bit of your conversation with Henry. "

"Oh? What did you hear?" she asked nervously.

He caught her momentary lapse, but didn't think too much of it. "About him having no life outside of work. It's what makes him good at what he does, but what else does 'Father Time' have, am-I-rite?"

She nodded.

"And he said something about changing the way he saw certain things or certain people ... sounded like he was on some marketing rant ..."

"Yeah, that's it ..." she breathed in relief. She really didn't want to talk about it, and Freddy hadn't clued in to the underlying subtext.

"Besides, I think he's a little too old to be cool to keep up with us, you know? But you!" Freddy wrapped his arms around her waist. "I definitely think you're cool ... and hot ... my fiery little sex-pot ..."

"Fredddy-y-y-y ... please, not here ..."

"C'mon, who's gonna know ... it's just you and me, babe ..."

"We're in Henry's office ..."

"Ugh, good point ..."

Later in the afternoon, Eliza bumped into Freddy just outside the bullpen. She leaned towards Freddy for a peck on the lips. When she raised her head, she caught Henry out in the hallway looking at them through the glass, before ducking his head around the corner. She knew he thought he'd gotten away with stealing a look, but she'd seen that look on his face. He looked a little dejected, a little more sullen than the "grumpy gramps" look he typically wore. And a part of her realized this look on him was def not about work.

But did that mean ... did Henry feel ... something more for her? She didn't want to think about that now. In a secret part of her heart and her mind, his rejection still hurt a lot. And besides, she made her choice with Freddy. Still, the sitch at the mo began to feel ... well ... a little complicated.

Freddy had been in brief conversation with her. "See you tonight?"

Eliza was stuck in 'pause', contemplating the look on Henry's face.

"Eliza?"

She looked up at Freddy's questioning look, and she realized he was waiting for an answer. "Yeah, totes ... see you after work!" She smiled at him for effect.

She released her arms around Freddy and went to their respective desks. But one thought continued to plague her, remaining firm in her mind.

 _Henry thinks I'm cool ... come to think of it, in his own super boring way, I think ... I think he's cool, too ..._

Back at her desk, she was on her iPhone, checking out restaurants and clubs for her date with Freddy tonight. But she wasn't putting much heart into her search as her mind returned (too) comfortably into thinking about her and Henry once again ...

Eliza was happy she and Henry remained friends. Truth was their relationship was one of the most important in her adult life, and she didn't want to mess it up. Over the last few weeks, she had redeveloped a new awareness about people. And given the amount of time they spent together, her 'Henry radar' had been sharply and finely tuned. She recognized; no, she **knew** there was going to come a time, likely soon, when she and Henry would have to sit down and talk about **it**.

About everything.

If she could only gather up the courage to approach the subject. She didn't want to go into territory where it might get awkward. Maybe he'd bring it up one day, especially if he meant what he said about his newly adopted mantra.

She'd rather expose herself naked to him: that had been easy and fun, just for that look of 'terror' on his face. She knew she couldn't, shouldn't play him that way. But it had still been fun ...

But to expose herself emotionally? That'd be harder. A lot harder to sell. She sure could use some of that 'no fear' mojo, too.

If only, she could get another opportunity, a wish for him to glance at her, because if she were being totes honest? No one, not even Freddy, has ever looked at her **that** way.

If only ...

She blinked a couple of times and shook her head, returning to her smartphone to continue her search. A couple of minutes passed when her internal 'radar' pinged, and she looked up.

She got her wish.


End file.
